This content was originally published in The Chronicle Herald on November 13, 2025.
Five years ago, the Road to Economic Prosperity (REP) began as an ambitious idea: that African Nova Scotian (ANS) communities could drive their own economic futures by working in partnership with government and the private sector, not as afterthoughts but as equal partners. Today, that vision is reshaping policy, inspiring new models of community-led development and charting the next phase of progress across the province.
The initiative has grown from a plan into a movement. Since its launch, the Road to Economic Prosperity has engaged more than a dozen communities, from Halifax’s historic Black settlements to Truro, Digby and Cape Breton, in creating community-led economic strategies. In each case, the process has sparked local pride, strengthened partnerships and built lasting structures for decision-making.
With REP’s support, communities identify their strengths, priorities and vision for the future, as well as ways to work collaboratively and effectively with the public, private and post-secondary sectors to advance community priorities.
“This clarity helps determine what we want to see in our communities and align our priorities to rebuild and revitalize,” says Carolann Wright, executive director of REP and director of Capacity Building and Strategic Initiatives, African Nova Scotian Communities, Halifax Partnership. “We ensure benefits of economic development are shared among all community members, especially African Nova Scotians who historically have not been welcomed as equal partners in this process.”
REP was launched in 2020 through a partnership between African Nova Scotian communities, Halifax Partnership and the Halifax Regional Municipality. It was the first time an economic development plan was designed and led by African Nova Scotians to directly address systemic issues and improve economic and quality-of-life outcomes.
“Halifax Partnership has been proud to support the Road to Economic Prosperity in progressing economic priorities in African Nova Scotian communities,” says Wendy Luther, president and CEO, Halifax Partnership. “Growing African Nova Scotian prosperity is essential to ensuring we’re building a vibrant, prosperous Halifax for all communities and residents.”
After two years of engagement with ANS communities and partners, REP’s first five-year strategic plan and two-year action plan were launched in 2021 and endorsed by Halifax Regional Council, followed by a renewed action plan for 2023 to 2026. The plan focuses on three pillars supported by 31 actions: unity and capacity building; land ownership, investment and infrastructure development; and education, employment and entrepreneurship. A new fourth pillar, policy reform, is now being added as REP transitions into its next phase.
“Community economic development has always been a clear priority for African Nova Scotian communities,” Wright says. “This plan builds on decades of advocacy and recommendations from historic reports. REP’s purpose has always been to connect those calls to action with tangible, measurable change.”
From 2020 to 2025, those changes have become increasingly visible. In the Halifax region, five communities — Beechville, Upper Hammonds Plains, East Preston, Lucasville and Lake Loon–Cherry Brook — have led their own strategic planning processes, defining community visions and setting shared goals. With support from the Government of Nova Scotia, REP has expanded to communities throughout the province. The Truro area has adopted the REP model to align community visioning with municipal development. In Digby, Guysborough and Cape Breton, the same collaborative framework is inspiring new partnerships.
“Engaging with the community helps ensure that key decisions and plans reflect the needs and desires of the people they impact,” Wright says. “That brings positive economic impact to those communities that have been historically marginalized.”
PROGRESS THROUGH PARTNERSHIP
Over the last five years, REP has worked in partnership with municipal leaders to establish precedent-setting policies and make historic progress for African Nova Scotian communities. Halifax Regional Council’s unanimous approval of community benefit agreements, which, if approved by the province for use in Halifax Regional Municipality, would ensure that large developments deliver direct benefits to residents, and the creation of the African Nova Scotian Community Action Program (ANSCAP), are among the early wins. Embedded within municipal government, ANSCAP has a dedicated team of planners focused on supporting community-led planning and addressing gaps in municipal services.
Initiatives in community boundaries and land development, as well as workforce attachment and education, are also accelerating.
Working with ANSCAP, ANS communities are reestablishing historic boundaries, addressing zoning and bylaw issues, and acquiring surplus land for community use.
A new workforce attachment program is helping connect African Nova Scotian workers to growth sectors, while partnerships with financial institutions are supporting youth education and entrepreneurship. With support from RBC, for example, African Nova Scotian students have received financial literacy training to prepare them for long-term success.
REP’s reach now extends into academia and national policy dialogue. Partnerships with Toronto Metropolitan University and The Black Planning Project have allowed students to conduct in-depth research on the REP framework, identifying it as a model for community-based planning across Canada.
In 2024, REP launched the African Nova Scotian Prosperity and Well-being Index, the first report of its kind to measure housing, income and educational outcomes in the province’s Black communities. The data-driven index provides insight into barriers and opportunities, helping governments and partners align investments and initiatives more effectively.
DEEP ROOTS, NEW HORIZONS
On Oct. 17, REP celebrated its fifth year at its annual community summit, themed Roots and Wings. More than 100 government, community, and private sector participants gathered to reflect on the journey so far and the road ahead.
“Across Nova Scotia, we’re seeing the results of collaboration — new homes, new jobs and new opportunities taking shape,” says Tracey Thomas, deputy minister of African Nova Scotian affairs. “This is what happens when community vision meets government support.”
Dolly Williams, co-chair of the REP advisory council, captured the spirit of the milestone. “Our roots are grounded in our communities, our ancestors and the generations who built a foundation for this work,” Williams says. “Our wings represent how we’re reaching higher, taking control of our economic futures and proving what’s possible when African Nova Scotians lead.”
For Irvine Carvery, co-chair alongside Williams, the fifth year marks not an ending but a renewal. “That’s what this milestone represents: not the end of a phase but a proof of concept,” Carvery says. “It’s evidence that the model works. Now, as we look to the road ahead, our focus turns to growth and renewal.”
REP’s evolution also includes a major transition from being incubated within Halifax Partnership to becoming an independent, community-led society. This shift will deepen its capacity to advance policy reform in land ownership, equitable housing and long-term funding — structural issues critical to ensuring that prosperity is both shared and sustainable.
As REP looks to the next five years, its leaders envision a future where community-led planning is the norm, not the exception. The next phase will focus on strengthening policy engagement, scaling impact across Nova Scotia and supporting communities to take ownership of their own development paths.
“Through the consultation process, we’ve heard clearly that this is what the community has been calling for,” Wright says. “The plan has always been to build a model that can stand up on its own. We have strengthened this initiative to that point and are ready to take the next steps.”
REP’s success depends on ongoing collaboration and collective effort: governments, businesses and residents working with African Nova Scotian communities to remove barriers and progress priorities and opportunities. The invitation is for all Nova Scotians to join the journey: to champion, partner, and invest in creating a prosperous future for African Nova Scotians.
